Houston, TX powers a quarter of its operations with wind energy

August 2008

The Achievement

The City of Houston now powers 25% of its operations with wind energy from Texas wind farms. The city purchases more than 350 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, making it the No. 1 ranked municipal purchaser of green power in the nation, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (as of July 2008).

The city expects to use as much as 1.7 billion kilowatt-hours of renewable energy (solar and wind) in the next five years. This is equivalent to the amount of kilowatt-hours needed to power 28,000 homes each year.

The Key Step

The city negotiated a five-year wind energy contract at a fixed price of 7.5 cents per kilowatt-hour, insulating itself from rising energy prices and saving taxpayer dollars. The city’s plan is to continue to purchase wind power in 10-megawatt increments for five-year terms at competitive wholesale prices.

The Benefits

Besides the sizeable reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, the city will save millions. In 2004, the City of Houston’s spent approximately $150 million on electricity ($30 million over budget) at a rate of roughly 9.1 cents per kilowatt-hour.

[Source: City of Houston website]